Iran’s Navy: Another Tanker Catches Fire After Striking a Mine in the Strait of Hormuz

By Staff, Agencies

Iran’s Navy has reported that another oil tanker caught fire and became immobilized after striking a naval mine while sailing through a restricted area east of the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Navy said the vessel had entered the designated unsafe zone despite repeated warnings from Iranian authorities. It added that the tanker had switched off its tracking and identification systems while navigating the area.

Iran’s Navy warned that any vessel attempting to enter the prohibited zone without authorization would face similar consequences. It also criticized shipowners for putting their vessels and crews at risk by relying on what it described as misleading assurances from US President Donald Trump.

The announcement followed a separate statement issued hours earlier by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps [IRGC] Navy, which reported that two oil tankers had exploded and caught fire after striking Iranian naval mines while attempting an unauthorized passage through the southern Strait of Hormuz.

According to the IRGC Navy’s Public Relations Office, the vessels were attempting to secretly navigate a prohibited maritime route and had deliberately disabled their radar and Automatic Identification Systems [AIS] to avoid detection.

The incidents come amid escalating tensions in the strategic waterway following the US-"Israeli" war against Iran, which began on February 28. Tehran has since imposed extensive restrictions on maritime traffic through the strait, a critical international shipping route through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes.

Under Iran’s newly established maritime mechanism, vessels seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz must first obtain explicit authorization from Iranian authorities.

Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that ships attempting to disregard these restrictions will face serious consequences. Tehran has also questioned Washington’s ability to guarantee the security of commercial shipping, despite repeated US military assurances that naval escorts would be provided to protect vessels transiting the waterway.

Iranian military commanders maintain that US security guarantees have failed to prevent incidents involving commercial vessels and insist that control over maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz remains firmly in Iranian hands.